Various types of cardboard boxes, tubes and containers have been devised to protect elongated articles and rolled documents during shipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,679, issued to Weber, describes an elongated double-paneled container formed of cardboard having an edge closure that is sealed with adhesive tape. U.S. Pat. No. 3,249,284, issued to Wood, discloses a paperboard wrap-around package with a joint in the middle of one side. The joint includes a series of interlocking hooks and slots. U.S. Pat. No. 1,449,468, issued to Walter, describes a heavy-weight box or tube formed of fiberboard for shipping heavy metal bars such as automobile bumpers. The container includes a flap extension and metal bands for securing closure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,740, issued to Sorenson et al., illustrates a paperboard file storage box formed from a single blank of cardboard. The file storage box includes a pair of reinforcing panels on either end that are secured to the box ends with tab elements that project through mating openings in end flaps that fold over the reinforcing panels.
An effective design for a shipping container for such items must necessarily be a compromise of various factors. It is an objective of the present invention that the container provide the required degree of protection from the forces encountered in transfeiring the container from one destination to another by means of automated package handling systems, trucks, automobiles and aircraft. It is a further objective that the container be light in weight to prevent excessive shipping costs. It is yet a further objective of the invention that the container is economical to produce and simple to assemble. It is a still further objective that the container provide a simple and effective means of being sealed and later opened.
While features disclosed in the prior art satisfy some of the objectives of the present invention, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.